Presented together in one volume, these are two of the greatest and most popular animal stories ever written. Even to designate them as "animal stories" seems to undervalue them, because these tremendous works are so much more than mere children's tales, although they are admittedly still greatly loved by the young. Penned by Jack London at the beginning of the twentieth century, the first, The Call of the Wild, tells the story of Buck, a domestic dog who is kidnapped from his home in California and forced to pull sleds in the Arctic wastes. In the second, White Fang, a cross-breed that is three-quarters wolf and one quarter dog, endures considerable suffering in the Arctic before being tamed by a white American and taken to live in California. The two narratives are remarkable for the vividness of their descriptions and the success with which London imagines life from a nonhuman perspective.
The Call Of The Wild is the story of Buck, a dog stolen from his home and thrust into the merciless life of the Arctic north to endure hardship, bitter cold, and the savage lawlessness of man and beast.
White Fang is the adventure of an animal -- part dog, part wolf --turned vicious by cruel abuse, then transformed by the patience and affection of one man.
Jack London's superb ability as a storyteller and his uncanny understanding of animal and human natures give these tales a striking vitality and power, and have earned him a reputation as a distinguished American writer.
